Computer networks are well known for providing communication between different computing systems to enable one system to share a resource with another system. For example, a server system may have a resource, such as a document written in a markup language (e.g., html, xml, etc.), a data file, a software process, or a hardware device that can be accessed by a client system over a computer network using a network address that identifies the desired resource in the computer network. A client system can request the resource from the server system using the network address of the resource. Computer networks range from local area networks to wide area networks to global networks including the Internet. The Internet, in particular, enables computing systems to provide a wide range of computer resources to users.
In the realm of the World Wide Web (“the Web”), typical computer users access Web pages by instructing a browser operating at their local client computer to transmit a request for a Web page using a uniform resource locator (“URL”). Domain name servers operating on the Internet help direct the Web page request to one or more server computers that correspond to the network domain identified in the URL. When the Web page request is received by the server computers, the markup code that embodies the Web page is transmitted to the client computer of requesting user. The user's browser receives the markup code and displays the Web page to the user.
As part of the process of receiving and using resources, such as Web pages, on computer networks, users may have thoughts, form impressions, or think of additional information they would like to store in connection with the resources being used. For example, a user visiting a merchant Web site may wish to note that the merchant has better prices or better shipping terms than other merchant Web sites. As another example, a user reading a document on a computer network, such as a product manual, may have comments on the instructions provided in the manual and wish to preserve those comments for later retrieval when again accessing the manual via the computer network. Because of the high rate at which users may receive and use resources on a computer network, it is difficult and cumbersome for users to store these thoughts, opinions, and information for later retrieval. Users may bookmark a Web site, but bookmarking does not preserve the specific thoughts, opinions, and information the user may have had about the Web site. Bookmarks are useful only for quickly returning to a particular Web site of interest. Alternatively, users may hand write their thoughts, opinions, and information on paper, but the user must remember that these annotations exist and where these annotations are located.
What is needed is a system and method that facilitates the storage and retrieval of annotations that a user may have in regard to a computer resource. In view of the problems and shortcomings noted above, it is apparent that systems and methods that help users store and retrieve annotations associated with computer resources will have significant utility, particularly if the systems and methods require minimal or no effort on the part of the user.